NATO Adds Ex-Universal Exec Jerry Pierce As Tech Consultant

(Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain and North Hollywood, Calif., USA, June 20, 2012) — The National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) announced today that Jerry Pierce, former Senior Vice President of Universal Pictures and Founder/Chairman of Inter-Society’s Digital Cinema Forum (ISDCF), will begin advising and consulting for NATO on technology issues starting July 1, 2012.

Pierce joined Universal in 1995 and immediately began work on the DVD format as part of the Universal/Panasonic/Warner Bros./Toshiba team that moved the format from concept to launch. Pierce and Panasonic received an Emmy award in 1999 for their contributions to the format.

In 2000, he joined the Theatrical Division in Universal and was at the ground floor of the launch of digital cinema. He served in the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) as chairman of DC28.2 Digital Cinema Mastering group where the initial industry-wide objectives where formulated.

“Technology in our industry is evolving at a dizzying pace,” said NATO President and CEO John Fithian, from Barcelona, where he is attending the CineEurope convention. “It is vital that we have on board someone who understands the complex interplay between craft, technology and business in the theatrical space. Jerry Pierce is that someone.”